1. Technical Field
The present invention embodiments pertain to surgical drapes and corresponding devices for use with thermal treatment systems to enable thermal treatment of a medical solution. In particular, the present invention embodiments enable utilization of a surgical drape in a thermal treatment system such as is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,128,275, where the system includes a removable or disposable basin to thermally treat medical solutions.
2. Discussion of Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 7,128,275 to Kammer et al. describes a liquid warming device that heats sterile fluids and includes a removable basin to receive fluids to be warmed by the device. When the removable basin is placed within a receptacle of the device, a limit switch is engaged by the basin to activate a heater. The activated heater applies heat to the receptacle that is transferred to the basin and fluids disposed within the basin. The liquid warming device of Kammer et al. further includes a surgical drape that is connected to an upper rim and/or an outside wall of the basin such that the basin extends down through a hole in the surgical drape. While the surgical drape extends around portions of the liquid warming device, the basin is not covered by the drape but rather comes in direct contact with liquid and/or other items that are placed within the basin for thermal treatment.
In many applications in which the liquid warming device of Kammer et al. is utilized, (e.g., surgical applications), a sterile boundary or field must be maintained between the fluids and/or other items being warmed by the device and any portion of the device with which such items are in contact. Since the fluids and/or other items are applied directly within the removable basin, at least the surface portions which contact the items must be sterilized prior to use of the device. This typically requires removing the basin from the device and re-sterilization of the basin after each use or, alternatively, providing another sterilized basin to replace the used basin after each use of the device. This can become costly to either re-sterilize a basin after each use or provide new, sterilized basin each time the device is to be used.